Clothesline cleaner



Jan. 1941- w. GODSTREY CLOTHESLINE 023mm Filed Sept. 23, 1939 I INVENTOR j/zzlam q oalsir y TORNEY Patented Jan. 21, 1941 CLOTHESLINE CLEANER William Godstrey, New York, N. Y., assignor of one-third to Joseph Schwartz and one-third to Jacob Sugarman, both of New York, N. Y.

Application September 23, 1939, Serial No. 296,243

3 Claims.

This invention relates to clothesline cleaning devices and has for its object the provision of a device which will effectively clean the line as the line is moved through it.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a cleaning device which is coue pled to the conventional pulley over which the line extends, the coupling means between the pulley and cleaning device serving to impart a reciprocating movement to the cleaning device whereby frictional rubbing action is applied by the cleaning device to the line and the line is accordingly cleaned by each movement of it through the cleaning device.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved clothesline cleaner made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the receptacle in which the cleaning material is contained; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a form of cleaning material to be contained in the receptacle.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, I indicates a clothesline pulley of conventional construction over which the usual clothesline 2 extends. The pulley I is rotatably mounted in a bracket 3 of U-shaped formation, said pulley being secured upon the rotating spindle 4 which is journalled in the arms of the bracket 3. Pivotally mounted at 5 between the free ends of the arms of the bracket 3 is a yoke 6 and pivotally mounted between the opposite ends of the yoke 6 is a receptacle 1 in which the cleaning material 8 is contained. The receptacle 1 is provided with a threaded portion 9 having laterally extending studs I which form the pivots for the receptacle and which are pivotally mounted in the ends of the yoke 6. The body ll of the receptacle 1 is removably threaded at one end into the portion 9 and one end of the body portion l I of the receptacle is fitted with a guide member l2 which may be composed of rubber or g some similar material capable of imparting a resilient squeezing action on the surface of the line 2 as the line passes through the guide member l2. The portion 9 of the receptacle is provided with a similar guide member I3 through which the line extends as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Contained within the receptacle is a suitable material for wiping or cleaning the surface of the line as the line passes through the receptacle. The material may be of any suitable nature and an example of the same is shown in Fig. 4 where it will be seen that the cleaning element is composed of a number of sections M of felt or the like, said sections having a central aperture I through which the line passes and being split at [6 to facilitate the easy placement of the cleaning material over the line and the renewal of the same when it becomes worn.

One end of a connecting rod I6 is pivotally attached to one of the arms of the yoke 6 and the opposite end of the connecting rod is looped as shown at IT around the crank portion l8 of the spindle 4 of the pulley I.

From the foregoing, the operation of my improved device will be readily understood. As the line is moved and the pulley l resultantly rotated, the yoke 6 is given an oscillating motion through its connection with the crank l B by means of the connecting rod Hi. This causes the receptacle 1 to be given a reciprocating motion along the line so that the cleaning material contained within the receptacle will impart a scrubbing or wiping motion on the surface of the line as the line is moved through it. It will be understood that as the receptacle is moved back and forth through the mechanism just described, it will apply a scrubbing or wiping action to the line to clean the same. When the cleaning material 8 within the receptacle becomes worn or soiled, it may easily be removed and replaced.

What I claim is:

l. A device of the character described comprising, a clothesline pulley around which a line extends, a bracket in which the pulley is rotatively mounted, said pulley having a shaft provided with a crank portion, a yoke pivoted in the bracket, a receptacle pivotally mounted in the yoke and through which the clothesline extends, a connecting rod extending between the crank portion and the receptacle whereby the receptacle is given a reciprocating movement upon rotation of the pulley, and cleaning material within the receptacle for contact with the portion of the line that extends through said receptacle.

2. A device of the character described comprising, a U-shaped bracket having a pulley rotatively mounted between its arms, said pulley having a shaft provided with a portion terminating in a crank, a yoke pivoted in the bracket, a receptacle pivoted at one end of the yoke, a connecting rod pivot-ed at one end to the yoke and at its other end to the crank, and cleaning material contained within the receptacle.

3. A device of the character described comprising, a bracket, a pulley rotatively mounted therein, a yoke pivoted at one end of the bracket, a tubular receptacle pivoted at one of its ends between the arms of the yoke, a cleaning material contained within the receptacle, the pulley having a shaft provided with a crank portion, and a link pivotally attached at one of its ends to the crank and at its other end to the yoke.

WILLIAM GODSTREY. 

